Time to Kill
by cmaddict
Summary: NCISCriminal Minds crossover. My first NCIS fic, so please R&R! A serial killer is after Navy petty officers. COMPLETE!
1. Prologue

**A/N: This is my first NCIS fanfic so please, be kind. This is also an NCIS/ Criminal Minds crossover, with the teams from both shows. I'm pretending like Twilight never happened, since I've never seen any episodes with Ziva as a character, and Kate's just awesome.**

**Disclaimer: The characters of NCIS belong to DPB and the characters of Criminal Minds belong to Mark Gordan, and coincidentally (?) both belong to CBS Paramount. I don't own them, please don't sue... I still have to pay for college!**

**Prologue**

He drove cautiously, ever so carefully, down Constitution Avenue. The torrential rainfall beat a steady rhythm on his tiny sedan, matching the rhythm of the blinking construction lights that were so common in the American capital. Softly he swore to himself, cursing the rain that had been falling on the sleeping city for nearly an hour. Now he was going to have to wash his car again. It, like everything else in his life, was meticulously maintained. Before this latest downpour, the exterior was sparkling, the interior spotless, the engine purring like it had the day he bought it. That was just the way it was. It was the way he liked it, and everything had to be the way he liked it.

He took a right onto York Avenue, making sure to signal. Slowly he accelerated to the speed limit and eased up on the accelerator. This was one night he didn't want to be caught doing something illegal. He chuckled softly at the irony of that thought as he pulled up to a red light. In the distance the light of the Washington Monument shone through the sheets of rain. _She would have loved to see it_, he thought. He sighed as the light turned green and he gently moved his car through the intersection. It really was a shame. She was such a nice girl, so… satisfying. But, he surmised, all good things must come to an end. Even her.

An hour later he eased his car into the Scotts Run Nature Preserve parking lot. Killing the engine and turning off the headlights, he opened the door of the midnight blue sedan. The rain had stopped, but a chilly breeze had picked up from the north. He shivered and flipped up the collar of his jacket before moving around to the rear of the car. Slowly he opened the trunk, rainwater running down onto the rear window and off the body of the car. "Hello, dear," he whispered.

Her eyes stared up at him like two brown ponds. He ran a hand down her pale, cold face. "Don't worry," he whispered. He leaned forward and kissed her stiffening forehead, chestnut hair matted with congealing blood. "Time to join our friends."

He grasped the starched, bloody threads of her uniform and pulled her out of the trunk. Careful not to drop her, he carried her down the familiar trail until he found the turnoff he was looking for.

Gently he set her body down in a small cove next to the knotted trunk of the oak. He brushed her cheek with the back of his hand and whispered, "I brought you another friend, my darlings. Please make her feel welcome." One by one, he lovingly caressed their cheeks, and one by one, he kissed them goodnight.

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"Dan! Slow down, honey, I have to catch my breath." The young jogger slumped against one of the oak trees a few feet off the trail. She bent over and rested her hands on her knees, gasping for breath.

A few yards up the trail, the jogger named Dan turned around and jogged back. "Hands over your head, Chelsea," he instructed, wiping sweat from his tanned face. "You don't want to get a cramp."

Chelsea groaned and slowly complied, concentrating on slowing her breathing. Her blond hair was matted with sweat, and her arms glistened in the autumn sun.

"Hey, follow me." Dan glanced around and stepped off the trail, trekking deeper into the woods.

"Dan!" Chelsea completely forgot about catching her breath and dashed after him. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Exploring." Dan pushed aside a tree branch and a torrent of red and orange leaves rained down on him. "We've never been up this far."

Chelsea caught up to him and grabbed his arm. "And what if we get lost?"

"Come on, Chels, where's your sense of adventure?" he teased.

She glared at him.

"Who cares if we get lost? We're all alone out her," he said as he wrapped his arms around her waist. His hands ran up and down her nearly-bare back. "It could be kind of romantic." He leaned forward and kissed her neck.

"It could also be a little cold out here," she said sternly, but he covered her mouth with his, silencing all protests.

Suddenly he stopped. "Hey, what's that?" he said, breaking from their embrace and walking over to a small cove by one of the larger oak trees.

"What's what?" Chelsea asked as she followed him. Her eyes fell on a dark blue and red strip of cloth peeking out from the bed of leaves.

Dan bent down to examine it. Slowly he brushed the leaves off. A blue sleeve appeared, red chevrons standing out against the dark cloth. The sleeve still contained a cold, lifeless arm. "Oh my God," he whispered softly.


	2. Chapter 1

**Thanks to the people that read this story. Hopefully this chapter will be a little more of what ya'll were hoping for. Please review and let me know if I need to fix the characters!**

**Chapter 1**

Special Agent Tony Dinozzo dashed into NCIS headquarters and into the elevator. "Please don't let Gibbs be there," he muttered to himself as he frantically pushed the button. He sighed. "I'm screwed." He bounced around impatiently in the elevator. "Hurry up."

_Ding._ The elevator stopped. Tony banged on the doors until they finally slid open. He sprinted into the bullpen and quickly glanced in the direction of his boss's desk. It was unoccupied.

Tony sank into his chair with a sigh. "Thank God." He closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair.

"You're late." A familiar female voice startled him so much he fell out of his chair.

Special Agent Kate Todd laughed as his tousled head poked over the top of his desk.

"Dammit, Kate, don't scare me like that!" he hissed.

"You know, with as graceful as you are, it's hard to believe you ever played any sports in your entire life." Kate's brown eyes danced with laughter.

"Ssshhhh!" Tony glanced around. "Is Gibbs here yet?"

Kate grinned at him. "Tony, this is the second time this week you've come in more than fifteen minutes late." She leaned back in her chair. "She must really be good."

"Oh, Kate, you have no idea!" Tony pulled himself to his feet. "Wait," he said as he cocked one eyebrow, "how did you know?"

She smiled. "A good interrogator always knows how to get people to talk."

Tony made a face at her.

Kate leaned forward. "So, what's she like?"

"Oh, she's the most beautiful girl I've ever met!"

"Didn't you say that about all the others?" Kate started counting off on her fingers. "Let's see, there was Olivia and Kasie and Jamie and Rachel…"

"Ah, but I hadn't met this one when I said that." Tony grinned.

"Uh-huh, and how long have you known this one?"

"Well, uh…" Tony fidgeted with his tie as Kate raised an eyebrow. "Twelve hours."

"That's what I thought," Kate replied, a satisfied smile on her face.

"Yeah, but, Kate the sex was fantastic!"

"Tony, with you, any sex at all is fantastic."

"Yeah." He grinned again. "Care to test your hypothesis?"

Kate glared at him. "I'd rather kiss one of Ducky's patients."

"Dinozzo!" A gruff voice from the elevator cut off his retort.

Tony grimaced and turned to face Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs, a million-watt smile crossing his face. "Hey, Boss."

Gibbs tossed his empty coffee cup in the trash and stood nose-to-nose with a very uncomfortable Tony. "You're late," he growled. "Again."

Tony fumbled for an excuse. "Yeah, well, uh...Boss, see…"

Gibbs moved around his stuttering subordinate. "This must be your lucky day, Dinozzo. We don't have time, grab your gear."

"New case?" Kate asked as she stood. A grateful Tony grabbed his NCIS bag and glanced at Gibbs.

"Yep. Murdered petty officers in Scotts Run. Kate, call Ducky. Tony, gas up the truck."

"You know, Boss, other agencies have people that gas up the trucks for the agents." Tony grimaced as Gibbs glared at him. "Right, Boss, gas up the truck."

Gibbs pushed past him. Grabbing a cup of coffee off his desk, he stomped up the stairs to MTAC.

Tony glanced over at Kate. "Did he say petty officers, as in more than one?"

Kate covered the microphone with her hand. "That's generally what the _S_ on the end of a word means, Tony."

Tony glared at her and crossed the bullpen to the elevator. As the steel doors slid open, he turned to face his partner and stuck his tongue out at the back of her head.

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Gibbs spotted Director Morrow seated in the front row of MTAC. "You wanted to see me, sir?" he asked as he sat next to his boss.

"You got the latest case?"

Gibbs nodded. "Yes, sir."

"Good." The Director shifted in his seat. "I've called in some help on this one, Gibbs."

Gibbs turned to face the Director. This was the last thing he ever expected. "Help, sir?"

"I called in the Behavioral Analysis Unit from the FBI."

Gibbs sat stunned for a brief moment. "Can I ask why, sir?"

"You heard the brief. It sounds like we have the makings of a serial killer on our hands."

"With all due respect, sir, we won't know that until we get out there, and we've handled serial killers before."

The Director looked him in the eye. "The BAU has the best profilers in the country. They can catch this guy quick, and the FBI has promised to give us the lead in the investigation." The Director stood. "They'll meet you at the crime scene."

Gibbs stood as well and made his way to the bullpen. _The BAU? Of all people, he calls in profilers?_

Kate was waiting for him at her desk. "Tony's in the truck and Ducky's on his way," she said as he grabbed his stuff.

"We've got company," Gibbs said flatly as he opened the drawer where he kept his Sig Sauer.

"Company?"

"What do you know about the BAU?" He turned to face her.

"The Behavioral Analysis Unit?" Gibbs nodded. Kate had been trained as a profiler by the Secret Service, and he knew that she'd know something about their new partners. "They're among the best in the world. The best profilers in the country either train there or work there. Why?"

Gibbs headed for the elevator with Kate on his heels. "Like I said. Company."

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_**Meanwhile…**_

_**FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit- Quantico, VA**_

"Morning, Reid."

At the mention of his name, Dr. Spencer Reid glanced up from the file he was reading. "Hey, Morgan."

Special Agent Derek Morgan flopped into his chair and rubbed his eyes.

"Long night, Morgan?"

Morgan glanced up to see Special Agent Elle Greenaway staring at him, a hint of a smile playing at the corner of her lips.

"What makes you think that?"

"Bags under the eyes," Reid said quietly, glancing at Elle. Her smile was getting wider. "The way you dropped into your chair. The very strong coffee you're holding."

"And the fact that you're so tired can mean one of two things," Elle finished. "You need a new bed, or you shared someone else's." The smile was now a full-fledged grin that lit up her already-beautiful face.

"Wouldn't you like to know," Morgan shot back, the grin spreading across his handsome face matching hers.

Reid and Elle laughed aloud.

"What's so funny?" Special Agent Jennifer "J.J." Jareau leaned on the dividing wall between Reid and Elle's cubicles.

"Oh, we're just, um, discussing Morgan's sleeping habits," Reid replied. "Or lack thereof." Elle snickered, and J.J. grinned. "What's happening?"

"Hotch wants us in the round table room."

"New case? What is it this time?" Morgan asked as he stood with the rest of his team.

J.J. shrugged. "No clue. This one's brand new, it didn't come through me."

Reid, Morgan, and Elle followed J.J. into a conference room off the bullpen. Special Agent Aaron "Hotch" Hotchner and Special Agent Jason Gideon were already there. Hotch motioned for the other agents to be seated.

"This is a big one," he began. "The orders for this one come straight from the Director."

Gideon turned on a television in the corner of the room. The station was set at a local news channel, and the banner across the bottom of the screen said loud and clear "FIVE NAVY WOMEN MURDERED IN SCOTTS RUN."

Elle raised her eyebrows. "Serial killing?"

"Possibly," Gideon replied.

"What does local law enforcement say?" Morgan asked.

"We're not working with local law enforcement on this one," Hotch answered. All eyes were now riveted on him. "We're working with NCIS."

"NCI-who?" Morgan asked again.

"NCIS. Naval Criminal Investigative Service," Gideon said, glancing at Morgan.

"Explains the order from the Director," Reid commented.

"They've got the lead on this one. We're just helping them," Hotch said. "And they've got a history of antagonistic feelings toward the FBI, so don't be surprised if we're not welcome."

"When are we ever?" Morgan quipped, eliciting smiles from Reid and Elle.

"Yeah," murmured Gideon, still staring at the screen. "This one's not going to be easy."


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thanks to all those who read and reviewed. Ya'll are awesome!**

**Chapter 2**

The NCIS truck screeched to a stop at the Scotts Run parking lot. Gibbs and Kate stumbled out of the passenger side. "Hey, Tony, I think we need to turn around," Kate said, supporting herself with the door.

"What, you forget something, Kate?" Tony slammed the driver's side door.

"Yeah, my stomach on that last turn," Kate groaned. "Haven't you ever heard of the brake pedal?"

"Hey, if you were driving we'd still be in D.C."

"If I was driving I'd still be digesting my breakfast."

Tony made a face at her.

Gibbs turned to a uniformed deputy that approached them. The deputy stuck out his hand. "Tyler, State police," he said.

Gibbs shook his hand. "Agent Gibbs, NCIS." He motioned to Kate and Tony. "Agent Todd, Agent Dinozzo." Dr. Donald "Ducky" Mallard suddenly appeared beside him. "Dr. Mallard, our medical examiner."

"I heard NCIS was being called in on this one," Tyler said, folding his arms across his chest. "If you want I can take you up to the crime scene."

Gibbs shook his head. "The FBI's supposed to be joining us soon. We should wait for them."

"Aw, Boss, do we have to?" Tony whined. Gibbs stared at him. "Then again, waiting sounds like a good idea." Tony glanced at Kate, who was trying not to smile.

Gibbs turned to the access road and crossed his arms. Just then, a black SUV pulled up next to the truck.

"Ah, black SUV," Tony said. "Very FBI." Kate rolled her eyes.

Gideon was the first to get out of the SUV, followed by Morgan, Reid, and finally Elle. As Elle shut the back door, Tony's jaw dropped. "Wow," he whispered.

Kate glanced at him. "Tony, there's a better way to catch flies."

"She's the most beautiful girl I've ever seen," Tony said as he stared at Elle.

"Gee, that sounds familiar," Kate said sarcastically. She put her fingers under his chin and pushed his jaw up.

The five profilers stopped in front of Gibbs and his team. "I'm Agent Gideon," the oldest agent said, holding out his hand. "I guess you're the one in charge here?"

Gibbs smiled slightly. "Yeah." He took Gideon's hand and shook it. "Agent Gibbs."

Gideon motioned to the four agents behind him. "Agent Morgan, Agent Hotchner, Dr. Reid, and Agent Greenaway."

Gibbs shook the hands of the agents and motioned to his team. "Agent Todd, Dr. Mallard, and-"

"Agent Anthony Dinozzo," Tony said as he grabbed Elle's hand and shook it. "But you can call me Tony." He gave her the biggest smile he could.

"Elle," she replied, sliding her hand out of his. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Kate rolling her eyes.

"Gentlemen," Ducky interrupted in his clipped British accent, "I don't mean to break up this introduction, but we must get to the crime scene."

They followed the deputy up the narrow hiking trail. The state police had surrounded the small cove with yellow police tape. "Kate, pictures. Tony, sketch," Gibbs instructed.

Kate slung the camera off her shoulder. Ducky, Gibbs, Gideon, and Hotch knelt next to the bodies.

Reid and Morgan followed Tony with the laser sketch as Tony moved toward a tree a few feet from the cove. "You know what this is, kid?"

"Yeah," Reid said.

Tony glanced at him. "Really? Care to explain?"

"That may not be a good idea," Morgan said, interrupting Reid's response. "He's a genius."

"Genius, huh?" Tony turned to face Reid.

"I have three doctorates, an I.Q. of 187 and I can read twenty thousand words per minute." Reid paused. "I'd say that's pretty close to genius."

"Is he always like this?" Tony asked, glancing at Morgan.

"Worse."

"Well, genius, care to write down these measurements for me?"

Reid grinned and pulled out a notepad.

Tony shot the laser sketch at a tree nearby. "That Agent Greenaway…"

"What about her?" Morgan asked.

Tony glanced up from the device. "Is she single?"

Morgan glanced at Elle, who was bending down beside Kate next to one of the bodies. "As far as I know. Why?"

"Oh, nothing," Tony said, turning back to his laser sketch. "Forty-three and three-eighths."

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Ducky leaned down next to the pile of bodies inside the cove. "Oh, my dears, you were once very beautiful, weren't you?"

Elle cocked an eyebrow and glanced at Kate, who was snapping pictures. Kate caught her eye as Elle jerked her head toward Ducky. "Oh, don't worry," Kate whispered. "He does that all the time."

"He does?" Elle whispered back.

"That's Ducky for you," Kate replied as she snapped another picture.

Gibbs, Gideon, and Hotch leaned down on the other side of one of the bodies. "Well, Ducky?" Gibbs asked, glancing over at the doctor.

Ducky pointed to the body that was least decomposed. "This one is the most recent. She hasn't started decomposing yet."

"Time of death?" Gibbs asked as Kate snapped more pictures.

"You know this case reminds me of a case I worked in England," Ducky said, putting a gloved hand on Gideon's forearm. "It was a young woman, not much older than this, and—"

"Ducky!" Gibbs barked. Ducky jumped, startled. "Time of death?"

"Well, I can't tell you that right now," Ducky replied tartly, slightly perturbed at having his story interrupted. "You'll have to wait until I get them on the table. But this one," he motioned to the body nearest to the one he was examining, "has been in this cove for at least a week."

"Are you sure?" Hotch asked.

Ducky pointed at the body. "Based on the level of decomposition. And she's completely covered in leaves."

"Takes a long time for that many leaves to cover a body," Gideon finished. Ducky nodded approvingly. Kate snapped pictures of the decomposing corpses.

"I may not be able to tell you the exact time of death," Ducky continued, "but I can tell you how I believe they all died." He paused dramatically as the agents looked at him.

"Ducky," Gibbs prompted.

"They were beaten with some sort of blunt object. I'll know more when I get them in my autopsy room."

"What's this?" Hotch asked, reaching for something on the body.

Like a lightning bolt, a gnarled hand grabbed his. Hotch followed the arm up to Gibbs' staring blue eyes. "You don't touch until he says you can."

After a long, tense pause, Hotch glanced at Ducky, who nodded imperceptibly. Hotch twisted out of Gibbs's grip and picked up one of the corpse's hands. "This bruising on the wrist."

Elle leaned over Gideon's shoulder for a closer look. _Click, click, click_ went Kate's camera. "Ligature marks," Elle said, glancing at Ducky for confirmation.

Ducky grinned at her. "Very good, my dear Elle!" Elle smiled as Ducky continued. "Marks like this were most likely made by her hands being tied with rope or something very akin to it."

Gideon caught Gibbs's eye. "She wasn't murdered. She was executed."


	4. Chapter 3

**Thanks to all of you who reviewed; ya'll are awesome! Please do the same after this chapter!**

**Chapter 3**

Gibbs caught his breath slightly. Someone was executing Navy petty officers. And he would strike again. "Yeah," he muttered. He looked around for Kate. "Kate!" She glanced up from her pictures. "When you're done, head down to the parking lot and see if you can find anything to bag and tag."

Kate nodded and slung her camera over her shoulder. She motioned for Elle to follow and they soon disappeared from sight.

"Dinozzo!"

"Yeah, Boss?" Tony said as he looked up from his measurements.

"Help Ducky bag 'em."

Tony motioned to Morgan. "Let's go, Probie."

Morgan bristled at that, but he followed Tony anyway.

As they were struggling to get the bodies into the black bags that Ducky provided, Gibbs turned to Hotch and Gideon. "Okay. Profile."

"Organized killer, organized crime scene," Reid said as he came up behind them.

"That's all you have?"

"Profiling isn't something magical we do, Agent Gibbs," Reid said, crossing his arms. "It takes time. It takes knowledge of the victim. It takes physical evidence."

Gibbs pointed his finger at Gideon's chest. "I want this bastard caught before he does this again."

Gideon raised his hands. "I know you do. I want to catch this bastard too, Gibbs. But we have certain criteria we need, stuff that you can help us with." He paused. "We're on the same team here, Gibbs. If we want this guy, it means complete cooperation with both of our teams."

"We can help you, and you can help us," Hotch finished. "But you have to be completely upfront with us."

Gibbs slowly inhaled, then exhaled. He looked Gideon in the eye. "Right." He stuck out his hand. "You have my complete cooperation."

Gideon maintained eye contact. "And you have mine." He grasped the proffered hand and shook it.

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Elle hurried down the trail after Kate. "Agent Todd!" she yelled. Kate stopped and turned around. "Slow down," she said as she caught up to her, panting.

"Oh, sorry," Kate said as Elle caught her breath. She stuck out her hand. "Kate."

Elle took the hand. "Elle."

"Elle? That's an unusual name," Kate said as they continued down the trail.

"Yeah, well, my parents were unusual people."

They walked in silence for a time, until Elle spoke again. "So how long have you been with NCIS?"

"Uh, a little over a year," Kate replied. "Before that I worked with the Secret Service. On the President's detail." Kate waited for the customary "Wow", but Elle just nodded. "How long have you been with the BAU?"

"A year," Elle replied as they went down a small hill. Slowly the dirt parking lot showed through the dense trees. "Before this I was a field agent in Seattle."

Kate nodded. "Sounds like an interesting job."

Elle smiled slightly as they reached the parking lot. "It had its perks. But I like the BAU a lot. They're the best, and I wanted to work with the best."

Kate raised her hand to block the sudden sunlight. She turned to face Elle. "Okay, this area was taped off, so it should be somewhat uncontaminated. Keep on the lookout, but stick with me." Elle nodded and followed Kate. Both agents kept their eyes peeled to the ground.

"Hey, Kate?"

"Yeah?"

"That Dinozzo guy. Is he always like that?"

Kate grinned. "Always like what?"

"You know. Thinks he's a Casanova and flirts with everything that breathes and has breasts."

Kate laughed. "Yeah, he is. He's harmless really. Just a big pain in the ass sometimes." Kate paused and thought about that. "Well, most of the time."

Elle grinned. "Yeah, I know the type."

Kate looked up at the FBI agent, surprised. "Really?"

Elle nodded. "Oh, yeah. I worked with one like that in Seattle, and I work with one like that here. Morgan."

"That really handsome one?"

Elle nodded and grinned. "Yep, that's him. He's a nice guy, really smart, really good at what he does. He just knows he's good-looking and uses it. A lot."

Kate laughed. "Seems to be one like that in every department. Tony will probably chase you for as long as you're working with us."

The other agent rolled her eyes and joined Kate in her laughter.

There was silence as the two agents scoured the scene. Suddenly Elle stopped and moved away. "Hey, Kate." Kate turned to see Elle bending over something embedded in the dirt. "I think I found something."

Kate moved over to squat down behind Elle. The FBI agent glanced up at her. "It rained last night, didn't it?"

"Yeah, it poured."

"What time did it stop?"

Kate thought for a moment. "About two o'clock this morning. Why?"

Elle didn't answer. "What happens to dirt when it gets wet?"

Kate locked eyes with Elle. "It turns to mud."

"And what happens when someone drives over mud?"

Kate pulled out her camera and studied the ground. She could see the faint impression of what looked like… "They leave tire tracks." _Click, click, click._ "Better call for a plaster cast of this." _Click, click, click._

"It's a pretty good bet these weren't made this morning." Elle said as Kate snapped the pictures.

"Yeah, the ground would have dried."

Elle moved a few feet over. "I got something here too."

Careful not to disturb the track, Kate moved over to join her. Elle lightly traced something in the dirt. "What do you make of this?"

Kate squinted a little and nearly fell backward with surprise. "It looks like a shoe print."

Elle caught Kate's eye. "We just found our first clues."


	5. Chapter 4

**_I am so sorry it's taken so long for me to update. Blame it on school and the twenty papers I've had to write. Seriously, I have absolutely no time to do anything like this, but I'll do my best to make up for it. BTW I had a little bit of trouble with the Abby part of this, so if you could be so kind as to really look at that and give me suggestions, I would be eternally grateful._**

**Chapter 4**

The BAU team followed Gibbs through NCIS headquarters and into the bullpen. Gibbs pointed to an empty desk. "Set up here," he said gruffly. He kept walking to the elevator on the other side of the bullpen. "Kate, get that stuff to Abby."

"Where're you goin', Boss?" Tony asked.

"Autopsy." Gibbs disappeared around the corner.

Kate gathered up the plaster casts of the shoe and tire prints and motioned to Reid and Morgan. Reid glanced at Hotch, and the older agent nodded for him to go. Reid and Morgan followed Kate out of the bullpen and into the elevator.

Hotch leaned on the desk and glanced at Tony. "How long until the autopsy's done?"

"Depends," Tony replied, leaning back in his chair.

"On what?"

"On what he finds." Tony tossed a paper clip in Elle's direction. "Might as well make yourself comfortable." He grinned.

Elle rolled her eyes.

Impatient, Hotch stood. "How do I get down to autopsy?"

Tony looked at him surprised. "Are you sure you want to go down there?"

Hotch just looked at him.

Tony shrugged. "Okay, don't say I didn't warn you." He pointed in the direction Gibbs had gone. "That way, down the elevator to the basement."

"I'm coming too," Gideon said as he stood up. He and Hotch hurried down the narrow aisle to the elevator.

Tony tossed another paper clip at Elle. "Looks like it's just you and me."

Elle ignored him and turned to her work.

"Aw, come on!" Tony stood and went over to Elle's desk. He put his hands on the desk and leaned down until his face was inches from hers. He grinned. "Profile for me."

Elle looked up and locked eyes with him. "What?"

"Oh, you know," he said, giving her his best smile. "You have to have a profile on this guy, right?"

Elle shifted in her seat, slightly uncomfortable with his proximity to her. "Maybe. It's unsubstantiated."

"Why don't you try it out on me? Maybe I can make a suggestion."

Suddenly Elle leaned forward until her face was less than six inches from his. She smiled at him, and his eyes showed exactly what he was thinking. "I have a suggestion."

"Yeah?" He leaned in a little. "What's that?"

"Why don't…" She was enjoying watching him get excited. "Why don't I head down to forensics and you go jump off one of the overpasses on the Beltway?" She put her hand on his chest and shoved. He stumbled backward and landed squarely on his backside.

Wincing in pain, Tony looked up at Elle, who grinned at him. He watched as she turned on her heel and headed for the elevator. "Feisty," he muttered. A slow grin spread over his face. "God, I love her!"

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The autopsy doors slid open with a _whoosh_ that was becoming all too familiar to Gibbs. He glanced at the two nude bodies that Ducky had on his metal slabs and for the thousandth time he felt his stomach rise to his throat.

"Ah, Jethro," Ducky from the other side of the room where he was washing his hands. "I was wondering how long it would take you to get down here."

Gibbs smiled slightly. "Whaddya got for me, Duck?"

"Ah, it's a very puzzling case," Ducky began, but his story was interrupted by the sound of the autopsy doors opening. He turned to see Gideon and Hotch file into the room. "Agent Gideon, Agent Hotchner, you're just in time."

Gideon glanced at the bodies. "For what?" he asked, a small smile playing at the corner of his lips.

"Well, I was just about to tell Jethro here how our lovely young ladies died. You know, it reminds me of a case I read about in my medical journal. A young lady in India was found deep in the heart of the woods, and she'd been there for quite some time, and-"

"Ducky," Gibbs said softly, giving his friend a look. Hotch crossed his arms impatiently.

Ducky glared at Gibbs and moved toward his lighted board. "How did they die?" Hotch asked, following him.

"It's quite simple, really." Ducky pushed the buttons along the bottom of the board, and the room lit up in an eerie white glow. He pointed at the five x-rays that were mounted on the board, the outline of the five skulls glaring against the black background. "They were beaten to death."

"Beaten?" Gideon asked, moving closer.

"Yes, with some sort of blunt object, perhaps a stick or a baseball bat." He pointed at one of the pictures. "Each girl has a fracture on the left side of the skull, towards the back. This caused severe brain hemorrhage." He turned to face the agents. "The good news is that it was a quick death, very little pain other than the initial blow." He moved back to one of the metal slabs.

Gibbs followed him. "Sexual assault?"

Ducky shook his head. "No signs of any recent activity, so you can rule out a rapist. However, there is something very interesting."

"What's that?" Hotch asked, glancing at Gibbs. The NCIS agent had his arms crossed in front of his chest in an annoyed posture.

"Well, this young lady was killed two days ago, based on the rate of decomposition." Ducky motioned to the cadaver on the other slab. "That one was killed a week before that."

"You're sure?" Gideon asked. Gibbs glanced at him and shook his head. _Bad idea_, the agent's blue eyes said.

As if echoing Gibbs, the medical examiner gave Gideon a withering look. "Jane Doe number three was killed two weeks before that."

"What's the point behind this?" Hotch asked impatiently.

"My point, Agent Hotchner, is that each girl died exactly seven days apart."

Gibbs uncrossed his arms in surprise. He glanced over at Gideon, who was staring at the dead woman on the table. "What does that mean?"

Gideon didn't look up. "It means I'd better call Elle."

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Kate pulled Reid out of the elevator and tugged him down the hall toward Abby's lab. She pushed him against the wall and leaned in close to his face. Reid had a very confused look on his face. "Uh," he cleared his throat, "what exactly are you doing?"

"Before you meet Abby, there are a few things you need to know."

"Like what?"

Kate glanced around and lowered her voice. "Abby's a bit… different."

"Different?" He furrowed his brow. "How?"

Kate sighed and let go of him. "You'll find out." She turned on her heel and continued down the hall. Reid hurried after her.

The door to Abby's lab opened with a _swish_, much like Ducky's had done. Kate and Reid were nearly knocked off their feet with the number of decibels Abby's famous rock music was emitting. "What is that?" Reid shouted, his face inches from Kate's ear.

"Abby's music," she shouted back. "C'mon."

Abby Sciuto was standing with her back to them as they entered. Her eyes were covered with goggles, and she bounced to the rhythm of her music.

Kate glanced at Reid, whose face was contorted in pain. She laughed to herself. "Abby!" she shouted.

The Gothic forensic expert didn't turn around.

"Abby!" she shouted louder. She still didn't turn around.

Kate crossed the room and tapped Abby on the shoulder. Abby whipped around. "Kate!" she shouted and threw her arms around the surprised agent. "So good to see you!" Abby yelled over the music.

"Abby!" Kate shouted. Abby looked confused. Kate tapped her ear. "The music!" she yelled.

"Oh!" Abby grabbed her remote and pressed a button. The sounds of an electric guitar cut off immediately. "Sorry, my bad." Abby glanced at Reid, then looked back at Kate. "Who's the nerd?" she whispered.

Reid stuck out his hand. "Dr. Spencer Reid, with the BAU."

Abby took it. "Abby Sciuto. Nice to meet you." She turned to Kate. "He's not another assistant, is he?"

Kate laughed and shook her head. "Nope, he's a profiler. Got anything for us yet?"

Abby opened her mouth to answer, but was interrupted by some more _swish_ing as Elle joined them. "Abby, this is Elle Greenaway with the BAU." Elle nodded at Abby.

"As I was about to say," Abby continued, giving Kate a dirty look, "I found some carpet fibers on the back of Jane Doe number 1's uniform."

"Carpet fibers in the middle of the woods?" Elle asked.

"Exactly. I'm scanning the others to see what they've got, but—"

"It's gonna take some time," Kate finished, sighing.

"We're on a time schedule with this unsub," Reid said, glancing at Elle. "He's psychopathic and he'll get the urge to kill again soon." Elle nodded affirmatively. "What about the footprint?"

Abby pushed herself over to another table. "Man's size ten, walks on his instep. Given the depth of the impression I'd say he's about six feet tall."

"That's it?" Kate asked, incredulous.

"Well, I'm sorry, guys, but you can't rush science." Abby pushed her chair back to one of her many devices. "I'm scanning the fiber through the databases to see if—"

Abby was once again interrupted as the doors opened again. Tony sidled up to Elle, as she rolled her eyes. "What is it with you?" she asked, annoyed.

"I'm like a bee," Tony replied. "I see something beautiful and I've just gotta go for it." Kate groaned, and he gave her a dirty look.

"As I was saying," Abby said, "I'm running it through the databases to see if I get a match for the manufacturer, then I can check it against military housing in the area."

Elle's cell phone rang, and she turned away.

"How much time will this take?" Kate asked.

"Anywhere from twelve to twenty-four hours," Reid replied.

Abby stared at him. "What are you, some kind of genius?"

Tony shook his head. "Better not ask, Abs."

Elle shut her phone and turned to them. "You've got five days. He'll kill again in five days."


	6. Chapter 5

**A/N: Sorry it's taken so long again... lots of stuff happening with school. Thanks again to everyone that reviewed, ya'll are amazing. Sorry this one's kinda short too, but I figured it's better short than none at all. Standard disclaimers apply!**

**Chapter 5**

Elle ran her fingers through her chestnut hair as she perched on Kate's desk. The rest of the BAU and NCIS teams gathered around the flat screen in the bull pen.

Tony discreetly sidled up to Elle, who glanced at Kate and rolled her eyes. "So…" Tony started, until he saw Gibbs' glare out of the corner of his eye. "Got a profile yet?" Tony asked as he cleared his throat.

Morgan pressed a button on the remote he held in his right hand. Pictures of the five dead petty officers popped up on the big screen. "This is not necessarily a target on the military itself."

"Why is that?" Gibbs asked.

"If it were, he'd be attacking women in power, not low-level enlisted personnel."

"What we're looking for," Hotch interjected, "is a male, thirty to forty years old. He's from the area, is familiar with the Scotts Run area, probably a hiker or jogger."

"He kills for a sexual release," Reid stated, "much like Bundy or Son of Sam. But, unlike them, he's perfectly lucid."

"He's driven by a need to kill," Gideon said, turning his head to face Gibbs. "And he knew his victims."

"How do you know that?" Tony asked.

"The manner of their deaths," Morgan replied. "Blunt force trauma is a very personal way to die, much like strangulation or drowning. The unsub can feel and see the victim's life fading away, although it's a less sure way of killing someone."

"We're looking for a guy that isn't really all that confident in himself," Elle said, moving to stand beside Kate, who nodded her concurrence. "He doesn't have the confidence to work his way into these women's pants. He's smart, meticulous, almost obsessive, but he has zero confidence."

"And he seems to have a preference for brunettes," Tony said, grinning at Kate and Elle. Kate narrowed her eyes at him.

"So where does that leave us?" Kate said. "We still have five dead sailors and a psycho who's gonna kill in five days."

Abby dashed up to the agents, holding out a file. "Go ahead, Gibbs. Say you love me."

"Let me see what you have and we'll talk," Gibbs said, grabbing the file from her hand.

"I ran the carpet fibers through the database."

"They have a database on carpet fibers?" Morgan asked.

"The government has databases on almost everything these days, from electronics to car mats. Each product is specially designed to a manufacturer," Reid replied.

"God, you really are a genius aren't you?" Tony said. Reid smiled slightly at him.

"So what's did it say, Abby?" Kate asked.

"It's basically your run-of-the-mill carpet supply store," Abby said, her grin getting wider.

Gibbs stared at her. "So?"

"This run-of-the-mill supply store happens to supply all of the military housing in the area. This particular brand was ordered by the GMH military housing in Silver Spring, Maryland."

"That's not far from D.C," Reid said, glancing at Gideon.

"So what are we waiting for?" Gibbs said, pushing past them.

"I wouldn't do that, Gibbs."

Tony grimaced. "Not a good idea," he whispered to Elle.

Gibbs turned to stare at Gideon. "What did you say?"

"You go barging in there with agents and lights and tape, it could scare him off," Hotch said.

"In case you haven't noticed, Agent Hotchner, he's killing petty officers and he's gonna kill again in five days."

"I know, but if you scare him off he'll go right back to killing again somewhere else. It's a compulsion for him. He can't stop it," Morgan interjected, stepping in between Gibbs and Gideon.

"We need to catch him in his element, doing what he does best," Gideon said. There was a tense silence as the two agents stared at each other.

"You have to trust us, Gibbs," Hotch said, breaking the silence.

Gibbs sighed. "What do you have in mind?"

Gideon glanced at Elle and Kate. "He has a penchant for brunettes."

**So what did ya'll think? Please R&R... feedback is welcome!!!**


	7. Chapter 6

**A/N: Sorry it's been so long since I last updated, but I'm out of school for the summer, and I hope to be updating more often. I hope you like this next chapter very much... I think it has some surprises in it. I realized as I wrote it that I may have taken another direction since last chapter, so hopefully this one corrects it well. Reviews and constructive criticism are greatly appreciated, and thanks to all of you who reviewed and gave me some input on the last chapter. You're all amazing!**

**Chapter 6**

"This is never gonna work," Elle muttered as she stood in the NCIS bullpen with her arms to her sides. Gibbs tugged at her Navy petty officer's uniform, trying to straighten out the wrinkles.

"Sure it is. Besides, you look good in a uniform," Morgan replied, grinning at the dirty look she shot his direction.

Gibbs straightened her lapels and motioned to her hair. "Tie that in a bun at the nape of your neck. No flyaways or loose hairs."

"We need someone to get inside, to draw him out," Hotch commented from his perch on the side of Kate's desk.

"If he follows the profile, he'll be compelled to kill again before the seven days are up," Reid interjected.

"I understand one person going," Kate said as she stood in front of a mirror leaned against her desk, pinning her ribbons on the front of her uniform, "but is two really necessary?"

"Aw, c'mon Kate, you don't wanna go undercover, catch the bad guy?" Tony said with a grin on his face. "You can be like Teri Hatcher in _Tomorrow Never Dies_, catch the spy that threatens to destroy the world…"

"Last time I checked, our guy wasn't trying to destroy the world," Kate replied, tucking a loose hair into her bun.

"Actually that movie is rather inaccurate in its portrayal of…" Reid began.

"We need both of your profiling abilities on this," Hotch interrupted. "Keep your eyes and ears open, watch each others' backs, and keep the profile in mind."

"Look for a stressor, obsessive tendencies, anything that might help us," Gideon said.

Elle and Kate nodded.

Abby joined them in the bullpen, carrying tiny wires in her hands. She handed one of each to the two women. "Here're your mikes. You can pin 'em on anything, but the best bet would probably be your bra strap." She ignored Tony's badly covered snort. Next she handed them a small earpiece. "These are remote, so Gibbs can talk to you. It has a range of five miles, so you should be good unless you get taken on a long drive, which I've seen happen before, it's not…"

Gibbs cleared his throat.

"Sorry," Abby said. She gave them both a quick hug. "Good luck."

Gibbs handed Elle and Kate two separate files. "You are Petty Officer Jennifer McHale," he said as he motioned to Kate. "You've just been reassigned as the yeoman to the base commander at Norfolk." He motioned next to Elle. "You're Petty Officer Renee Hunt, McHale's best friend since high school. You've been assigned to JAG headquarters for a year, but your best friend needed a place to stay so you're moving to accommodate the both of you." The two women flipped through their separate files. "McGee's gonna be in the apartment next to you, just in case anything goes wrong."

Gideon reached over and lightly tugged on Elle's lapel. "We'll be monitoring from Abby's lab, and Dinozzo and Morgan will be less than a mile away the entire time. You need anything…"

"I got it, Gideon," Elle said, giving him a reassuring smile.

"Yeah…"

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He stared at the two beautiful new brunettes in the parking lot. It was a present like he'd never dreamed. Two of them for his collection. Two new friends for the others…

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"Hey Reen, can you grab the other two bags?" Kate shouted at Elle. "I can't get them."

"Sure," Elle yelled back, sprinting down the stairs. She joined Kate at the trunk of their car and reached for the last two bags.

"You think he's around?" Kate asked softly.

"Absolutely."

"This type of unsub needs to be close to his prey, to get a feel for the way she lives," Gideon's voice rang in their ears. Gideon, Gibbs, Hotch and Reid stood in Abby's lab, listening to the two agents.

"Never thought I'd be hearing that voice in my head," Elle quipped.

Kate laughed.

"Less chatting, more moving," Gibbs shouted into the mike. Kate and Elle winced.

Elle grabbed the last two bags and hoisted them up. "Need some help?" The male voice behind them startled them. A good-looking man jogged up to them. He stuck out his hand to Kate. "James Gooding. I live on the second floor."

Kate took the proffered hand. "Jenn McHale." She motioned to Elle. "This is my best friend, Renee Hunt." Elle set down the bags and shook his hand. "We'd really appreciate it. Those stairs are murder."

Gooding laughed. "Nice to meet you. Just moving in?" he asked, lifting the bags and leading them across the parking lot.

"Yeah," Elle replied, shooting Kate a look. "Figured we might as well split the rent on a semi-nice place."

"Which floor?" he asked as they reached the stairs.

"Third," Kate replied. She led them to Apartment 3G and opened the door for them. Gooding set the bags down next to the many boxes they already had. She offered him her hand. "Thanks so much."

"Not a problem," he said as he shook it. "You ladies need anything, just holler." He left, shutting the door behind him.

"What do you think?" Elle said when they were sure they were alone.

"I don't know. He seems nice enough."

"So were Ted Bundy and Jeffrey Dahmer," Elle replied, opening one of the boxes full of confetti paper. "Our boy's definitely got obsessive-compulsive disorder. We'll have to take a look at his apartment or car."

"Got it." Kate opened the bags that Gooding brought up, revealing extra uniforms and clothes for them. She took them into the bedroom and hung them up in the closet.

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Back in Abby's lab, Hotch dialed the number for the BAU headquarters in Quantico.

"Office of the FBI Supreme Genius, how may I direct your call?"

"Garcia, I need you to do a background check on someone."

Gibbs grabbed the phone. "Abby can do the background check."

Hotch reached for his phone. "Our computer tech has at least five screens and CPU's, with unlimited access to government files. It would take her less time than Abby." He caught the look on Abby's face. "No offense."

"None taken," Abby said, sipping on a Caf-Pow and going back to her screen.

"Hotch, you still there?" Penelope Garcia's voice squawked from the phone as Gibbs silently handed back the device.

"Yeah, sorry about that, Garcia."

"You said you wanted me to work my magic?"

The corners of Hotch's mouth turned up imperceptibly. "Yeah. James Gooding. Lives in the GMH military housing in Silver Springs, Maryland."

"I'll pull up his lease and e-mail the stuff to you."

Hotch gave her Abby's e-mail address. "Thanks, Garcia."

"Any time, sugar." The dial tone told him she had hung up.

Hotch flipped his phone shut and grinned to himself. He turned to face the others. "She'll e-mail Abby the info."

Reid looked pensive. "You know, our statement that he wouldn't have any confidence might have been slightly off."

"How's that?" Hotch asked.

"Well, sexual killers like this generally have to charm their way into the women's lives. Look at Jack the Ripper or the BTK killer. They managed to get into their houses simply through charm. Women thought they could trust them. He might not have any sexual confidence, but he's gotta be charming."

"I'll let Elle and Kate know," Gideon said, turning to the microphone.

A beep sounded from Abby's computer. "Got a hit," Abby said, her fingers flying over the keyboard. She pulled up the e-mail Garcia sent over. "Whoa," she said, skimming the document.

"I'll say," Reid said, looking over her shoulder. "Possession, possession with intent, assault, assault with a deadly weapon…"

"Sexual killers usually start with petty crimes like this," Hotch said.

"But there's no voyeurism or sex crimes. Sexual killers start out with petty sex crimes," Gideon interjected.

"Where does that leave us?" Gibbs asked.

"Still in need of a suspect," Gideon replied.

Abby's door opened with a _whoosh_ and Ducky stepped in. "Gibbs, I found something else in the autopsy, but I'll need Abby's help confirming it."

"Whatcha got for me, Duck?" Abby said, turning to face him.

He handed her a vial of blood. "This is from Jane Doe number one, the one with enough blood to test. I need a toxicology report."

"Whaddya thinkin', Ducky?" Gibbs asked.

"You know those ligature marks?" Ducky asked. The four agents nodded. "I found tiny, almost imperceptible cuts on her forearms and legs. I wouldn't have seen them at all if I hadn't thought it was some sort of growth on her arms."

"The point, Ducky?" Gibbs said, impatiently.

"Well, let me just see what Abby says."

Abby's machine beeped. "Got a whoop."

Reid's eyebrow went up as he looked at the results. "Gabadaxol."

"What?" three agents said in unison.

"It's an experimental sleeping pill," Abby said as Reid nodded. "Except, in this case, it doesn't appear to be ingested."

"It appears that he made it into a gaseous form," Reid finished.

"As I feared," Ducky said, his voice worried. He looked at Gibbs. "I'm afraid that our bastard may have tortured these women several days before he killed them."

"That makes him a sexual sadist," Hotch said.

"That shortens our time limit," Gideon said gravely.


	8. Chapter 7

**_A/N: Once again, none of it is mine, except for the original character, which is obviously mine... otherwise he wouldn't be an original character. Ah, the life of a poor, unemployed college student._**

**Chapter 7**

"Did you two hear me?" Gibbs bellowed into the mike. "I want you both to be extremely careful."

"Got it, Gibbs," Kate replied. "Sexual sadist equals bad news."

"Don't worry about us," Elle interjected.

"He's compelled to strike again soon," Reid said. "When the urge to kill comes, he won't be able to stop it. And he'll make whoever his victim is suffer. That gives him his sexual release."

"Tony and Derek are close by, and McGee's in the next apartment over. He's got enough video cameras around here that he won't miss the slightest movement of a mouse," Elle said.

"Mouse? What mouse?" Kate asked, looking around frantically.

Elle stared at her.

"Totally kidding," Kate said as she laughed nervously.

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Tony tossed an empty takeout box into the back of Morgan's SUV. Morgan stared at him. He squirmed slightly as he felt the sting of Morgan's glare. "What?" he asked, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

"You're a slob," Morgan said. He gestured to the back of the truck. "You're destroying government property."

"We're after a sexual serial killer who's probably after both of our partners, and you're worried about me messing up your car?"

Morgan tossed his own takeout box in the backseat. "I never said that." He flashed a grin at Tony.

Tony laughed loudly. "Smooth."

"Yeah, just make sure you get it before Elle and Kate get in here."

"Ha. Tell me about it. You ever get yelled at for being 'immature'?

"Eh, every once in a while. Elle's not too bad about that."

"I hear it pretty much every day."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. It sucks sometimes."

Morgan slurped his drink. "Yeah."

They sat in relative silence for a few minutes. The sun began to sink behind the tree line. Morgan saw that Kate and Elle's light was still on. "It's gonna be dark soon."

"You think he moves at night?"

"It's typical. Not many criminals are willing to move during the day."

"I knew that." Tony rubbed his hand through his hair. "It's just, you know, I thought serial killers…"

Morgan's phone chirped, cutting off Tony's half-hearted excuses. He flipped open the phone. "Morgan."

"Kate and Elle are about to turn in," Gideon's voice sounded through the receiver. Morgan quickly put him on speaker phone and Tony leaned in to listen.

"Got it. We're keepin' an eye out, but I don't see or hear anything."

"Keep your eyes open. He's four days away from his kill, so he'll be doing something sometime soon."

"Have we nailed down the time he spent with the victims?"

"Agent Morgan," Ducky's voice came through. "There's really no possible way I can tell you that. The cuts are shallow enough to heal quickly, but deep enough and in the right places to be extremely painful. He left nary a trace on their skin, though it's obvious that he attempted to rape them."

"Sexual sadist, makes sense," Hotch commented.

"Yeah," Morgan continued. "He tries to come through, but he can't, so he has to find some other way to compensate."

Tony glanced up at the agents' window. It had gone dark. "Elle and Kate turned off the lights."

They heard Gideon exhale slowly. "Now we wait."

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He slowly, quietly grasped the door handle. _Apartment 3G_, he read on the oak door, just to make sure he had the right one. Not that he doubted himself. He never doubted himself. He was always right.

In his left hand he concealed a remote control with two buttons. Not that he ever used the second one, the one that would stop the release of the tranquilizing gas he used to subdue his victims. He had built that himself, like the machine he used to disperse the chemical. He was proud of his work. And not just the mechanical work.

He glanced at his watch. It was time.

Slowly, deliberately, he pushed the button that released the gaseous Gabadaxol. Donning his gas mask, he unlocked the apartment door and pushed his way inside.

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Next door, Agent Timothy McGee swiveled around in his chair as movement on the screen caught his eye. Through the darkness, he could see a large mass moving toward Elle and Kate's bedroom.

"Hey, Boss," he said into his lapel mike. "We got him."

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He leaned over their sleeping forms. They looked so peaceful. It was a shame they had to wake up. They had to make him feel better. And they couldn't while they were asleep.

Suddenly Kate's eyes popped open, and she sprang from the bed, gun in hand. "Freeze!" she yelled.

Elle jumped out of her bed, weapon leveled at him. "Don't move! FBI!" she shouted.

Tony and Morgan burst through the door. "Down on the ground!" they yelled. "Hands on your head! Move it!"

Jack Abrams, janitor for the GMH military housing, dropped the remote control and kneeled on the ground whimpering. "No," he muttered. "This isn't right. This can't be happening."

"You bet your sorry ass it's happening," Tony growled, keeping his weapon aimed at the back of Abrams's head.

"It's not right," Abrams kept saying to himself. "It's not right."

Morgan holstered his weapon and went over to Elle and Kate. "You guys okay?"

They both nodded silently, guns still at the ready.

Morgan went over to the air conditioning duct and pulled it open. Reaching inside, he pulled out Abrams's masterpiece, a machine that dispersed sleeping gas. He removed the canister and showed it to Abrams. "It's empty, in case you were wondering."

Tony holstered his weapon and pulled out his handcuffs. He swiftly jerked Abrams's hands behind his back and slapped the cuffs on him. "Let's move," he said, prodding Abrams with his foot.

"It's not right. It's not right. It's just not right."


	9. Chapter 8

**A/N: So while this has been an awesome challenge, it's time now to wrap up this fic. Thanks to all of you who read and put in your input. Special thanks to Adam (staindredglass) for keeping me going on this one. I'm ready to move onto another big fic, so keep your eyes out!**

**Chapter 8**

The NCIS and BAU teams gathered outside the apartment complex, watching Abrams being led away by the FBI. They could still hear him muttering, "It's not right. It's just not right."

Kate shuddered. "To think a guy like that could get away with four murders."

"More if we hadn't stopped him," Gideon added.

Morgan rubbed his hand on the back of his neck. "He started confessing like crazy once we slapped the cuffs on him. He would cut the girls' arms with knives before he attempted to rape them. Then he'd take a baseball bat to the back of their heads."

Tony motioned to an agent carrying a bat to one of the many cars. "There it goes now. Made its last appearance." He looked back at the agents. "Kinda sad…" He winced as Gibbs' hand connected with the back of his head. "In a dark and twisted kinda way, Boss."

"What's gonna happen to him?" Kate said, looking back to see Abrams being shoved in a car.

"He'll be examined by a psychiatrist and probably put on trial," Reid replied, watching the car drive away towards D.C. "A guy like that is a true psychopath."

Gideon glanced at Hotch. "I guess it's about that time."

"Aw, don't tell us you're leaving already!" Tony groaned. "The party's just gettin' started!"

"Our work never really stops," Hotch replied. He turned his gaze to Gibbs. "But it was certainly a pleasure working with you." He stuck out his hand toward Gibbs.

Gibbs hesitated for a minute, then took the hand and shook it firmly. "It certainly was." He turned to Gideon and offered his hand. "It most definitely was."

Gideon smiled and took the hand. "Thanks for all your help."

"It should be me thanking you. I don't think…"

"I know, you don't think you could have caught him without us."

Gibbs shrugged and the corners of his mouth turned up. "I was going to say that it would have taken us a helluva lot longer to catch him, but if that makes you feel better then be my guest."

Gideon chuckled.

Tony held out his hand to Morgan, who took it and shook it enthusiastically. "Great workin' with ya, man."

"Yeah, same here."

They watched as Kate and Elle embraced. Tony leaned toward Morgan. "Keep an eye on her, okay?" Morgan looked at him sharply, and he shrugged. "She's somethin' special."

Morgan grinned. "You got it." He put a hand on Elle's shoulder. "We gotta get moving."

She nodded against Kate's shoulder. "I'll be there in a minute."

After several moments of hugging, Kate and Elle finally separated. Elle smiled at her. "You know, Quantico's not that far from D.C."

"Yeah," Kate replied. "We'll have to have lunch or something."

"I'd like that." Elle glanced at Tony and leaned forward to whisper in Kate's ear. "Good luck with that one."

"Thanks," Kate whispered back. "I need all the luck I can get."

Tony coughed slightly, and the two ladies walked over to him. "Do I get a goodbye hug?" he said as he grinned.

Elle smiled at him. "Remind me why you deserve a hug?"

"Well, I saved your ass."

"If memory serves me right," Kate interjected, "Elle and I had everything under control."

"You just don't want to admit that I saved your life."

"Damn right," Kate shot back.

"Hey, hey," Elle said, putting up her hands in surrender. She moved toward Tony and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Surprised, it took Tony a moment to react. He put his arms around her waist and pulled her body close to his. They stayed like that for a couple of minutes, until Hotch honked at them from the SUV.

Elle pulled away from him. "I'd better get going." She shoved her hands in the pockets of her jeans.

"Yeah," Tony said. His face softened. "Give me a call, okay?"

Elle grinned. "I just might do that."

Tony grinned back. "Do I get a goodbye kiss too?"

She laughed as Kate shot him a dirty look. "Maybe next time we meet." Elle waved at them and got into the SUV.

Kate and Tony watched as they drove back toward the highway that would lead them back toward Quantico. "Goodbye kiss, Tony?" Kate asked, rolling her eyes.

"Hey, I got a maybe," he replied, grinning at her. "Better than an 'In your dreams' or 'Take a hike' or..."

Kate rolled her eyes as he continued chattering. "He would have been better if she had just kicked him and ran," she muttered.


End file.
